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A Roncalli student dressed as a chicken walks to his seat during an EWC matchup against Sheboygan Falls at Roncalli High School Thursday, January 10, 2019, in Manitowoc, Wis. Joshua Clark/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Joshua Clark, Joshua Clark/USA TODAY NETWORK-W

Sheboygan Falls' Jonah Tenpas reacts to a call against him during an EWC matchup against Roncalli at Roncalli High School Thursday, January 10, 2019, in Manitowoc, Wis. Joshua Clark/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Joshua Clark, Joshua Clark/USA TODAY NETWORK-W

Roncalli's Daniel Burgarino, Jack Beckner and Connor Jacoby react to a shot against Sheboygan Falls in the final minutes of the game at Roncalli High School Thursday, January 10, 2019, in Manitowoc, Wis. Joshua Clark/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Joshua Clark, Joshua Clark/USA TODAY NETWORK-W

Sheboygan Falls walks back to the locker room after losing their first conference game of the season to Roncalli 72-35 at Roncalli High School Thursday, January 10, 2019, in Manitowoc, Wis. Joshua Clark/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Joshua Clark, Joshua Clark/USA TODAY NETWORK-W

MANITOWOC - The defending WIAA Division 4 state champions don’t intend to let any team sneak up on them.

Roncalli is a perfect 12-0 and has a 20-game winning streak dating back to last season, with its last loss nearly a full calendar ago on Feb. 13, 2018.

Thursday’s matchup against Sheboygan Falls featured the top two teams in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference, both entering 5-0 in EWC play.

It didn’t take long for the Jets to hit auto pilot, leading 41-23 at halftime en route to a 72-35 romp.

“I think they wanted to prove they were worthy to be on top of the conference and do it against the other best team in the conference,” said Roncalli coach Joe Garceau.

The Falcons were keyed in defensively on senior Chombi Lambert, who leads the conference in scoring at 19.7 points per game.

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Roncalli's Daniel Burgarino, Jack Beckner and Connor Jacoby react to a shot against Sheboygan Falls in the final minutes of the game at Roncalli High School on Thursday in Manitowoc.(Photo: Joshua Clark, Joshua Clark/USA TODAY NETWORK-W)

Lambert probably could tell you what the Sheboygan Falls defenders had for a pregame meal with how tight they were defensively, but it didn’t faze him.

“It’s uncomfortable but you just have to look at film and find ways to beat it,” Lambert said. “If that means having to distribute and not score, that’s what you do.”

Luckily for the Jets, teammates and fellow seniors Ian Behringer and Matt LeVene were more than willing to take the offensive controls, combining for 27 of Roncalli’s 41 first-half points.

Both players understand the situation.

“Chombi is a phenomenal player, so it’s well-deserving that they glue on him but it opens up shots for other guys and he knows that,” LeVene said.

If defenses want to surround Lambert, that suits Behringer just fine.

“It’s a lot easier for us to step up. We have to make plays,” Behringer said.

Lambert appreciates the support.

“In bigger games, people are going to be able to look at a scouting report and my stats and want to take me away,” Lambert said. “If we can have guys step up, that’s great. Less pressure on me.”

Sheboygan Falls coach Jake Frohling acknowledged why Roncalli is such a tough team to game plan against.

“They have five guys on the floor most of the time who can knock down a 3,” Frohling said.

“We got a lot of guys with confidence,” Behringer said of the team’s offensive skill set.

Mishicot huddles before their game against Sheboygan Area Lutheran at Mishicot High School Friday, January 11, 2019, in Mishicot, Wis. Joshua Clark/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Joshua Clark, Joshua Clark/USA TODAY NETWORK-W

Sheboygan Area Lutheran's head coach Mike Scheele talks to his team during a Big East Conference matchup against Mishicot at Mishicot High School Friday, January 11, 2019, in Mishicot, Wis. Joshua Clark/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Joshua Clark, Joshua Clark/USA TODAY NETWORK-W

Mishicot's Desiree Kleiman drives to the hoop for a layup against Sheboygan Area Lutheran during a Big East Conference matchup at Mishicot High School Friday, January 11, 2019, in Mishicot, Wis. Joshua Clark/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Joshua Clark, Joshua Clark/USA TODAY NETWORK-W

The Jets boast six players who are shooting at least 33 percent from beyond the arc, with a minimum of 10 attempts. Sheboygan Falls, which has three, is the only other EWC team boasting half that number.

“I think it speaks to the depth on our team. If you take away one guy, we have others who can step up and takes on that role of scoring,” LeVene said.

It’s that versatility which keeps the idea of a perfect season and second consecutive state championship alive.

“We want to be as close to perfect as we can,” Garceau said. “We want to see if we can run the table and we’re not trying to be arrogant, that’s just a goal. We set our goals high.”

Ranked No. 1 in both the Associated Press and coaches poll in Division 4, it’s impossible for the Jets to not know every team wants to knock them off their flight plan.

“Coach reminds us that makes us a bigger target, everyone is going to be gunning for us,” LeVene said.

Lofty goals and rankings are well and fine says Garceau, so long as his players never lose focus.

“Staying humble and hungry is the biggest thing. Regardless of our record, if we start thinking too highly of ourselves pretty soon we’ll have two or three losses in the blink of an eye,” Garceau said.

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Top performances

Trey Zastrow was the lone area player to score 30 points, tallying that exact number Tuesday in Manitowoc Lutheran’s 71-54 victory over NEWCHAA.

There were also a few stellar statistical performances on the week as Zastrow’s teammate, Evan Lischka, scored 18 points while grabbing 18 rebounds in the same game.

The Manitowoc Lutheran duo weren’t the only teammates to play well in the same contest, as Sheboygan Lutheran’s Jacob Ognacevic tallied 25 points and 19 rebounds Thursday in a 79-56 win against Ozaukee, while Casey Verhagen had a near triple-double with 12 points, nine assists and six rebounds.

On the girls side, New Holstein’s Mackenzie Doherty and Kiel’s Savannah Walsdorf each recorded 23-point showings this week.

Doherty did so Tuesday as the Huskies fell to Lomira 67-60, while Walsdorf helped key a 65-26 rout of Brillion on Friday.